“True Measure of Faith” - Our Shepherd Lutheran Church

“True Measure of Faith”
Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany
February 1, 2015
AS WE GATHER
Welcome to Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, and a special welcome to our guests!
What’s the true measure of faith? St. Paul tells us faith is measured not by what you
know, but rather how you love. Many who fancy themselves strong in the faith put
their desires above the needs of others. This destroys Christian faith and fellowship.
We, who would like to think we are strong, need to be careful to do everything in
love, thus fulfilling Christ’s command to “love one another.” Much love is the true
hallmark of a vibrant faith. God bless your worship with us today.
WORSHIP * DISCIPLESHIP * FELLOWSHIP
In worship, we gather in God’s NAME, hear His Word, are taught by His Holy
Spirit, receive Christ’s body and blood for our forgiveness and depart with His
blessing. What a great blessing it is to receive God’s gifts in worship! This is
why worship is the most important activity we do as the people of God and
why God’s faithful saints throughout time have made worship a top priority in
CONGREGATION NEWS
EASTER BREAKFAST HELP NEEDED ~ We are in need of a ministry or group to
oversee this year’s Easter breakfast. In years past, a wonderful Fellowship Committee
has coordinated the meal, but the committee is currently inactive due to key leaders
dealing with illness or family issues. If you would like to step up and assist with this
event, please speak to one of the pastors soon. If no one feels led to serve in this way,
we will still have coffee and donuts available as we normally do on Sundays. Thank you!
COUNSELING SERVICES ~ Pastor Lepley and a team of lay leaders are working
towards forming a partnership with Cross Connections, an LCMS-founded and based
Christian counseling service from Fort Wayne. Our goal is to bring Christ-centered, Bible-based counseling services into the greater Indianapolis area. Please pray for our
leaders as we discern how best to partner with Cross Connections in the hopes of
blessing our community with this great resource for emotional, spiritual, mental and family well-being.
AUDIO/VISUAL HELP is needed for our 8am and 6:30pm worship services. E-mail
DCE Dan at [email protected] if you are able to help.
MARRIAGE RETREAT ~ Registration deadline is today! Please sign up in the narthex and/or submit your payment of $260 to DCE Dan Hampton. Friends are most certainly welcome to attend.
SUPER BOWL PARTY for all students, family and friends this evening. Join us at
5:30pm until the game is over for a night of games, fun and food. Please sign up in the
narthex if you’re coming, and bring a sweet or savory snack to share.
SATURDAY USHERS NEEDED ~ We are looking for additional helpers, male,
female and youth, to serve as ushers for the Saturday evening services. If you would
be interested in serving your church in this way, or would like to know more, please
see Ann Michael or email her at [email protected]. Thank you!
Divine Service 1, p. 151 ff.
GOT BIBLES? We are collecting Bibles to have available for visitors and others
who request them to keep. Any translation would be appreciated, and even a New
Testament would be better than none at all! Please place them in the basket at the
Welcome Center in the narthex. Thanks!
Confession/Absolution
FREE LENTEN DEVOTIONS ~ Lutheran Hour Ministries offers a free Lenten devotional, The Light Shines in the Darkness, depicting a moving portrait of Jesus as
given in the Gospel of John. It is available now to download online at
www.lentendevotions.net, or an audio version and email subscription option will be
available starting Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.
Opening Hymn
533
“Jesus Has Come and
Brings Pleasure”
p. 151
Kyrie
p. 152
Hymn of Praise
p. 155
“This Is The Feast”
Collect of the Day
p. 156
First Reading
See back of bulletin
FOR YOUR CALENDAR…Euchre & Board Game Fellowship, Jan. 30, 6pm; Big
Game Party, Feb. 1, 5:30pm; MOPS Meeting, Feb.9, 9am; Marriage Retreat, Feb.
13-15 (deadline to register is this Sunday!), Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Columbus; Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, services at 4:30 & 6:30pm, Lenten meal at 5pm;
Ladies Circle Meeting, Feb 19, 10am; Susie's Place Child Advocacy Center Service Project, Feb. 21, 8am-noon; Food Pantry Drive-Up & Drop-Off, Feb. 21 & 22
before each service; Ladies Guild Meeting, Feb. 24, 7pm, Luther Room; 2015 All
Saints Fest, Nov. 20, The Palms, Plainfield.
Musical Response
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: Those struggling in body, mind and spirit: Cory
Cook, Sr., Tom Rafferty, Natalie Smith, Joan Marshall, Carol Zoss, Dory Stigall, Phyllis Everett, Cathy Loe, Stacy (Weiss) Wedding and Val Weber. For Dennis & Shara
Toole and all of our shut-ins. Our Indiana District, LCMS Synod and Worldwide Missions: for Living Christ Lutheran Church. Zeal to pray for missionaries here in
the United States and around the world. Christians persecuted around the world. The
unsaved, for faith in Jesus as their Savior. Our Armed Forces: Ryan Enlow, Andrew
Pierson, Rex Rafferty, David Rieger Sr., Shad Singer, and Scott Zimmerman.
Nicene Creed
INDEPENDENT BIBLE READING……………………………………………..1 Samuel 11-1 Samuel 16
Altar flowers are given this weekend to the glory of God by Todd & Donna Maloney
in celebration of Leah’s 7th birthday.
OUR RESPONSE THROUGH LAST WEEK:
In Worship:
654
In Financial Support:
Saturday
61
Tithes
vs
Budget
8:00am
285
$80,501
$77,500
10:45am
283
Tithes YTD
vs
YTD Tithes Budget
$567,855
$584,600
Midweek
25
Employer Match YTD vs Budget
$11,950
$21,581
Thrivent YTD vs
Thrivent Budget YTD
$3102
$1900
Total Income YTD vs
Budget
$1,108,441
$1,185,461
Wednesday, January 21 ~ $1477.00
Epistle Reading
See back of bulletin
Alleluia and Verse
p. 156
Gospel Reading
See back of bulletin
p. 158
Children’s Message
(8am only)
Sermon Hymn
842
“Son of God, Eternal Savior”
Sermon
“True Measure of Faith”
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Prayers of the Church
Offering/Offertory
p. 159
Service of the Sacrament
p. 160-ff
Distribution Hymn
696
“O God, My Faithful God”
Post-Communion Canticle
p. 165
“Nunc Dimittis”
Closing Hymn
698
“May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill”
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
15
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the
day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this
great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up
for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth.
He will tell them everything I command him. 19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20But a prophet who presumes to speak in my
name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be
put to death.”
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
1
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge
puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought
to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:
We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5For even if
there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and
many “lords”), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for
whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through
whom we live. 7But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed
to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and
since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no
worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights
does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone with a weak conscience sees
you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat
what is sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by
your knowledge. 12When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you
sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never
eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Mark 1:21-28
21
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had
authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed
by an impure spirit cried out, 24“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come
out of him!” 26The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27The
people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with
authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28News about him spread
quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
OUR SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL
9201 E County Road 100N, Avon, IN 46123
www.ourshepherd.org * [email protected] * 317.271.9103